HARLINGEN – More than a half-dozen police agencies in Cameron and Willacy counties have failed to file 2015 racial profiling traffic stop reports by this week’s deadline.
The mandatory reports are filed with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, better known as TCOLE. The reports indicate whether a police agency may have been targeting certain racial or ethnic groups.
The largest police department not to file by Wednesday’s deadline was Raymondville. Police Chief Uvaldo Zamora did not return a call seeking comment.
Other police departments which did not have their annual report posted on the TCOLE website were Cameron County Constable, Precinct 4; Cameron County Park Ranger Division, Indian Lake Police Department, Laguna Vista Police Department, Rio Hondo Police Department and Los Indios Police Department.
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Categories
There are several levels assigned to police agencies for the purposes of racial profiling reports.
Agencies that do not routinely make motor vehicles stops are exempt, and are not required to file annual profiling reports.
Valley International Airport’s police department would be in this category.
Partial exemption is granted to departments that make motor vehicle stops but have patrol vehicles equipped with audio and video recording equipment, and keep the recordings on record for 90 days. The Combes Police Department is in this category.
Full reporting is the category for police agencies that routinely perform traffic stops but do not have audio-video recording devices on patrol vehicles. The Harlingen Police Department is in this category.
What the
reports seek
Number of motor vehicles stops
Race or ethnicity of the driver (African, Caucasian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Native Ameican)
Race or ethnicity known prior to stop
Search conducted
Source: TCOLE website
